Kawasaki Ninja 400

Overview

At the time when we were content with the presence of Kawasaki in the quarter-litre and middleweight 650 cc category, the brand just amazed us by finding a sweet spot in between. It came in the form of the Ninja 400. The Ninja 400 is purely for those who want more performance and riding dynamics over a quarter-litre motorcycle but find a 650 cc motorcycle less practical and more intimidating to use. The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is being offered in two paint schemes - green and black.

Design

If you have loved the demonic and extra-terrestrial appeal of the mighty Ninja H2, you will praise Kawasaki for the Ninja 400. The Ninja 400 looks like a scaled-down version of the Ninja H2, albeit with more practical design elements.

Take for instance, the front stance of the motorcycle. The Ninja 400 gets a dual headlamp setup with LED headlights, which do get a pointy chin below, thus making the overall front fascia similar to that of the Ninja H2. The large front fairing with transparent visor at the upper portion and fairing mounted rear view mirrors give it an impression and stance of a middleweight motorcycle.

The full fairing, which incorporates the turn signals at the front like that on the Ninja 300, partially hides the black finished engine. The fuel tank has been lifted off from the Ninja 300. While the side body cow, as well as upright pointy tail section, are inspired from those on the Ninja ZX-6R. The huge gap between the tail section and the rear wheel might look awkward to some, however, this very thing gives the Ninja 400 a sporty stance. The motorcycle gets a Ninja H2 inspired full LED tail lamp and small fender at the rear.

The part digital and split handlebars have been shared with the Ninja 650. The console gets an analogue tachometer and an LCD screen, which displays digital speedometer, odometer, trip meters, clock, fuel gauge, and gear indicator.

Ride & Handling

Under the revamped design and skin, the Ninja 400 shares most of the chassis components with its smaller sibling, the Ninja 300. The frame, telescopic forks at the front, and the monoshock at the rear have been shared with the Ninja 300. This is a good thing actually, considering the fact that the Ninja 300 has always been one excellent motorcycle with balanced ride comfort and sweet handling. The motorcycle gets disc brakes at both the ends, which too have been lifted off from the Ninja 300.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is blessed with a four-stroke, liquid-cooled, parallel twin, 399 cc motor. Basically a bored out version of the Ninja 300’s engine, this 399 cc mill generates a maximum power output of 49.3 PS and a peak torque output of 38 Nm. These numbers not only make the Ninja 400 much faster than the Ninja 300, but also bring it much closer to the Ninja 650. The engine has been mated to a fantastic 6-speed gearbox, with slick gearshifts and shorter gear ratios making the essence of performance even sweeter.

Braking & Safety

For the Ninja 400, Kawasaki has made the dual channel ABS as standard fitment, which makes the feedback from the dual disc brakes even better.

Verdict

The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is one unique spin-off. It provides practically and easy-to-ride nature of a quarter-litre motorcycle and thrills of riding a middleweight bike. Going by the way it looks, the Ninja 400 surely impresses with the Ninja H2 inspired design cues giving it an impression of a more premium and bigger motorcycle than what it actually is.

Adding to it, the performance and handling are spot-on in typical Kawasaki fashion. However, to make it much sportier than its smaller siblings, the pillion comfort has been compromised, while the aggressive seating stance might not prove comfortable enough for long hour riding. Keeping this minor issue besides, the Ninja 400 is a fantastic and unique motorcycle to vouch for.